


Bête Noir

by JuliaM (seshat0120)



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, Episode: s03e01 Into the Fire, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-08 04:10:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21469843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seshat0120/pseuds/JuliaM
Summary: Episode tag for "Into the Fire".  Things aren't always what they seem.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	Bête Noir

**Author's Note:**

> I'm reposting my Stargate SG1 fics so, if anything sounds familiar, that's why.

He ducked behind a large tree, hoping it would hide him at least long enough for him to catch his breath. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been running trying to get away from...it. He knew if he didn’t stop, catch his breath and get a few minutes rest, he’d drop in his tracks. The problem with resting, though, was that it gave him too much time to think about...it. Not it, he corrected himself with a quick shake of his head. He had to accept it was Jack who was chasing him. Jack, who had a Goa’uld in his head. Jack, his friend, who was now intent on killing him.

He heard a twig snap and froze. He was coming. “You can’t hide forever, Danny Boy,” the voice that was his friend but wasn’t called out tauntingly.

“No,” Daniel whispered brokenly then took off running yet again.

Somehow, Jack, or the thing that now wore Jack’s body had gotten in front of him. He stumbled to a stop, skidding on mud and wet leaves and slamming down on his knees in front of the Goa’uld. It smiled down at him evilly and he realized he didn’t even know what name it went by.

“How nice. Kneeling at your god’s feet,” the Jack Goa’uld sneered.

“You’re no god,” Daniel gasped out as he slowly pushed to his feet trying to ignore the stinging pain in his leg. “You’re nothing but a parasite.”

Faster than he thought possible, the Goa’uld’s hand shot out, grabbed him by the front of his tac vest and pulled him so close they were nose to nose, and Daniel was staring into its eyes. He wanted to cry out in vehement denial when he looked in to the brown depths. Gone was the gentle sarcasm he’d learned to expect from his friend; replaced by hate and the burning need to dominate.

“You don’t scare me,” Daniel said slowly, not blinking at the heat in the Goa’uld’s gaze.

Again, the sneering smile marred Jack’s features. “My new host always did think you were too stupid to be afraid of anything and you’d die because of that. I guess he was right.”

Daniel tried not to react to the statement knowing the Goa’uld was trying to bait him. He lifted his chin slightly, keeping his gaze steady. “I don’t believe you.”

“Believe or not. It makes no difference.” The hold moved to both of Daniel’s shoulders, pushing down steadily. “You will kneel before your god.”

“I will not,” Daniel said defiantly, struggling to stay on his feet as the sharp, white-hot pain flared in his leg again and with a wordless cry, he crashed down to his knees. He saw the satisfied smile on the face looking down at him and slowly started to push up to his feet.

The Goa’uld ‘tsked’ at the display of defiance then a twisted snarl marred Jack’s handsome features. “You never could follow orders.”

Lightening quick, the hand with the ribbon device came up, pointed at Daniel’s forehead. The jewel in the center glowed brightly and the white-hot pain engulfed him. “Jack, no,” he gasped hoping to reach his friend. “Fight it, Jack. Fight it.”

The Goa’uld merely laughed at his attempts to break through to Jack and intensified his attack with the ribbon device.

“Jack!” Daniel screamed out and felt himself toppling to the side as blackness rushed in at him.

\-------------------------------

The next thing Daniel was aware of was the feeling of hands touching him and voices, one in particular, calling to him. He blinked open his eyes with difficulty, looked up at the blurry face of Jack O’Neill, and pulled away from him with an aborted scream.

“Hey, hey. Easy, Daniel. It’s ok. You’re ok,” Jack soothed although he held back from touching the frightened man. “It’s ok.”

“Goa’uld,” Daniel said fearfully, shying away from his friend and waiting for his eyes to flash white-gold. “You’re a Goa’uld.”

“What?” Jack asked in surprise then shook his head slowly. This time, he did gently rub Daniel’s shoulder. “No, Daniel. It’s gone, remember. The Tok’ra woman put me back in the deep freeze. It’s dead. Doc says there’s no sign of it and Carter thinks it just left me and died.” He did his best to hold back a shudder at the thought of the Goa’uld who’d almost invaded him. “You were dreaming. It was just a dream.”

“Dream?” Daniel questioned.

“Just a dream,” Janet Frasier assured from the other side of the bed where she was checking the monitors hooked up to Daniel. “There’s no Goa’uld in the Colonel.”

“What,” Daniel started to ask but stopped to lick dry lips. “What happened?”

Jack grabbed the cup of water from the table and held the straw to Daniel’s mouth. While he drank, he explained, “We gated back to the SGC. You hit the ramp and passed out. Doc said it was blood loss and you had an infection in your leg, too.”

Daniel drank his fill then nodded his thanks. “How long?”

“Three days,” Janet informed him. “Your fever finally broke an hour ago.

Daniel’s eyes darted around the infirmary as a new fear gripped him. “Hathor?”

“Is dead,” Jack quickly filled in. He put the guardrail down and sat on the side of the bed. “She’s dead, Daniel. She’ll never hurt you again. When Daniel looked away from him, he cupped his cheek in his palm, turning him back. “Hey, it’s ok. We got away, she’s dead, and there’s no Goa’uld in me.”

“I was scared, Jack,” Daniel said in a small voice. “I didn’t even try to help you.”

Janet caught Jack’s eye and gestured that she was going to step away and give them some privacy. Jack nodded then turned his attention to Daniel. “Hey, there wasn’t anything you could have done. You did everything right. If you’d tried anything, she might have hurt you or even killed you.”

“You were chasing me and used the ribbon device.”

“In your dream,” Jack half asked, half stated. “You’ve had a few nightmares like that since you’ve been sick.”

“You were here,” Daniel whispered at the reminder of other dreams.

“Doc was getting ready to throw me out. I wasn’t gonna leave you alone.” Jack reached over and pulled a washcloth from the basin on the bedside table, squeezed the excess water out of it, then passed it over Daniel’s face and neck wiping the sweat away. “You’re safe now,” he reiterated yet again.

Daniel nodded shallowly and blinked heavy lidded eyes. “Tired,” he forced out around a yawn.

“I bet. Doc said even though your fever broke, the infection’s taken a lot of out you and it’s gonna take a few days to get back on your feet.” He freshened the washcloth in the basin and wiped it over Daniel’s forehead again. “Close your eyes,” he whispered. “Go to sleep. I’m gonna stay right here and if those dreams come back, I’ll chase ‘em away.”

Daniel nodded slightly and let his eyes close. Within moments, his breathing evened out to a sleeping cadence and his body relaxed.

Gently, so as not to disturb the sleeping man, Jack got up from the side of the bed and locked the rail into place. He tossed the washcloth into the basin then settled in the chair he’d occupied for the past three days and watched his friend sleep.

He tensed, waiting for another replay of the dreams, when Daniel moved restlessly but he only rolled over onto his side, curling up loosely with his hand fisted beneath his chin. The other hand stole out through the rail and Jack clasped it in his and murmured words of reassurance. He smiled when Daniel settled down in to a restful sleep.

When Janet returned a half hour later, both men were peacefully asleep. She knew she should wake the Jack and send him to where he could rest comfortably but settled for grabbing a spare blanket and draping it over him instead. She knew the closeness would ensure that both men managed to defeat any other nightmares that decided to come calling.


End file.
